


One Step Forwards

by BloodyMary



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Dawn of the Jedi
Genre: Gen, tw: mentions of cannibalism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-15
Updated: 2016-01-15
Packaged: 2018-05-14 03:56:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5728744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodyMary/pseuds/BloodyMary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Force War rages, and Xesh is maybe getting used to not being a Force Hound. Probably. At least, it sometimes looks like it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Step Forwards

It's been a year, and Xesh still eats like someone will take his meal away from him, if he's not quick enough. And only when there's no one too close to him.

Master Lok pointedly avoids the area where he is eating, and tends to rub his fingers demonstratively when passing. Xesh only starts eating faster at that, until Shae finally has enough and throws an empty tin in Lok's direction.

Seriously, right or not, the old bastard is being a jerk. They have enough trouble with Xesh as it is without crazy prophets making him skittish around meals.

More skittish around meals than the usual skittish.

Which, for a person-shaped package of destruction, is already very skittish.

And that is the day, when Xesh starts sharing his rations with her. He sort of just pushes them into her hand, and goes on his way most of the time. Once or twice it almost looks like he's about to say something, or maybe do something, but that's as far as he gets.

She can't really be sure if it's progress for sure, but she thinks it is. That's some sort of interaction, and he's initiating it on his own. So she accepts them, and eats them, and smiles at him.

He never smiles back.

Then, they actually meet a Rakata on the battlefield. The creature is practically oozing Darkness, like some sort of infectious miasma. Shae is too far away to fight it, but can feel it die in the Force. It's like something dark and suffocating had lifted.

She doesn't consider that until later, until she ends up being volunteered to find Xesh.

(“He likes you,” Sek'nos says and slaps her back. “Or thinks you need to learn how to hunt, like those silly furry pests that bring you dead rodents.”)

She can't help but think about those tactless words later, when a bloody appendage is thrust at her. Xesh looks up at her, blood smeared over his mouth and chin, crusting under his nails and dripping off his fingers.

“We have rations,” she says and swallows.

He shakes his head. “If a master falls, only other masters may eat him.”

(“You should have the honour portion—my heart. You were very brave.” His voice is softer than before, awed, his presence in the Force almost serene.)

There is something stubborn in the set of his mouth now, in how he looks at the corpse.

“You're not a slave,” she says. He's never let anyone touch him—the closest they've got is when his fingers brush against hers, when he gives her the rations, so she doesn't take his hand. Instead, she holds her own out for him to accept or reject it. “Come. You don't have to follow their customs.”

She isn't sure if the words are right, but after a moment, he takes her hand. It's slick with blood, and his grip is awkward, but he lets her help him up. 


End file.
